Insecticide



Patented Oct. 26, 1943 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IN SECTICIDE Edward Sydney Redvers Willmore, Wattord, and Francis Ashmole Cooper, Berkhamsted, Eng land, assignors to Cooper, McDougall & Rob ertson Limited, Berkhamsted, England No Drawing. Application June 6, 1941, Serial No. 396,926. In Great Britain June 21, 1940 2 Claims. (Cl. 167-20) This invention relates to insecticides of the nawhich may, or may not, occur in the same coal ture of sheep dips more particularly for the tar fractions. killing and eradication of insect pests and para- The invention consists in an insecticide consites lrom the skins of sheep and cattle and sisting oi a powdered mixture comprising finely other domestic livestock, and while the inven- 5 divided sulphur and ametal derivative of cresylic tion is capable of general application as an in! acid which, when suspended in water, hydrolyses secticide it will, for convenience, be referred to irreversibly to give a solution of cresylic acid. herein generally by the term fdipfi The invention further consists in an insecti- Various forms of powder dip involving the use cide consisting of a powdered mixture comprisof finely divided sulphur are already known and, ing finely divided sulphur and aluminium cresylin general, are very efficient. ate.

It is also known to use solutions or emulsions In carrying our invention into effect in one con-' of coal tar acid and oils in water and one exvenient manner we prepare finely divided sulphur mp O t is type of dip whichhas been in us in any suitable manner and this we mix with for many years is a liquid mixture of low boiling powdered aluminium crcsylate in suitable D O- cresylic acid and soap which on dilution with D 0115 Produce a powder dip which on addi' water forms a clear ti tion to water is immediately suspended therein There have also been in general use for many and Within a time Pydmlyses give years a number of paste dips comprising finely lution of cresylic acid; since the particles of the divided sulphur cresylic acid and soap and these 20 powder become evenly dispersed throughout the combine the curative properties of both the sulwater before hyfimlysis takes is no phur and the cresylic dips while in addition we local concentration of cresylic acid wh1ch would have found that the presence of the cresylic acid gg gg faisg g gg gzgg of the suspension of in the wash results in the retention of a greater The powder dip so produced is easy to mix but, amount of sulphur m the fleece near the skin if desired a wetting agent e g tea seed Cake 01 the sheep than would otherwise be possible and may be aded to increase i of mixing this eifect enhances the value of the sulphur. In preparing the sulphur it is preferred that Such paiste dlpsl hPWeVGIII this should be in as fine a state of division as luted to glve an emclent dlppmg bath 50 possible, and should be substantially anhydrous. to '70 times their weight of water whereas it the In the preparation of the aluminium cresylate sulphur and cresylic acid present in thepaste We may alummmm or aluminium alloys in dips could be mixed together alone and added the form of scrap, tumings or other fgrm b t we to water to prepare the bath they would dilute prefer t employ the metal in the form of fine withlOO or more times their own weight of water foil and to, say, 350 grams or scrap aluminium o ive a bath of the same concen foil we add 50' grams of anhydrous cresylic acid h j t ofth pr s nt in t s to with a small amount of aluminium. cresylate e a f r f p w h W l p se l he (present in the vessel from a previous batch) and es of the hitherto known dips with other we heat these together in a suitable vessel. The

important advantages among which may be noted 40 reaction commences almost immediately when the the following: source of heat may be removed and anhydrous (a) It is easy to pack and transport; cresylic acid is allowed to run slowly into the hot (b) It is not affected by hard water; reacting mixture until, say, 35Q0 grams of acid in (c) It is easier to mix than is the plain sulphur all have been -used. By this-method of procedure dip; and the reaction may be kept under'control and needs (d) It will dilute with a high proportion oi very little attention and when finally the whole water to give an eflicient bath containing a susof the cold acid has been added heat is applied pension of finely divided sulphur and a solution and the mixture maintained at 230 to 240 C. of cresylic acid. until there is no further eifervescence. The prod- It should here be noted that the term cresylic uct while still hot and fluid is poured from the acid is used herein'for convenience of descripexcess metal in the vessel (through a suitable tion and is to be understood as including phenols filter) into a container and allowed to cool in and fractions of phenols extracted fronrcoal tar the absence of air. and boiling between 185 and 350 C. and the sub-' The aluminium cresylate is a translucent very stituted phenols, ethyl phenol and amyl phenol, brittle solid which is easily ground and sieved,

2 2,aa2,9eo

and the ground material when maintained alone or in admixture with finely divided sulphur in tightly stoppered bottles up to 37 C. shows no sign of caking even after long periods of time.

' In addition to aluminium cresylate the following aluminium derivatives hav been prepared in a similar manner and resembles aluminium cresylate in that they are solids capable of being easily ground and of being incorporated with finely divided sulphur in a powder dip, namely;

(1) Aluminium phenate (2) Aluminium o-cresylate (3) Aluminium m-cresylate (4) Aluminium mixed cresylate (phenols in fraction 185-200 C.)

(5) Aluminium mixed cresylate (phenols in fraction ZOO-210 C.) i (6) Aluminium mixed cres'ylate fraction ZOO-350 C.) ('7) Aluminium guaiacolate (8) Aluminium xylenate (9) Aluminium ethyl phenates (fraction of substituted phenols) (10) Aluminium amyl phenates (fraction of substituted phenols) (phenols in When using aluminium cresylate we find av It willbe understood, however, that the invention extends broadly to a powder dip comprising finely divided sulphur and a hydrolysable metal derivative of cresylic acid and it is therefore not to be limited to the details hereinbefore given by way of example as we may use any of the finely divided sulphurs already available on the market or may produce such finely divided sulphur in any. suitable manner and may vary the method of producing the cresylic acid derivative depending upon the particular purpose to which the insecticide is to be applied, the conditions under which it is to be employed, or any practical requirements that may have to be met. Moreover, in some cases it may be found desirable to add other powdered insecticidal agents such as derris or derris extract or arsenical compounds. We claim:

1. An insecticide consisting of a powdered mixture comprising finely divided sulphur and an aluminium derivative of cresylic acid which, when suspended in water, hydrolyses to give a solution of cresylic acid;

2. An insecticide consisting of a powdered mixture of 47% aluminium cresylate, 41.5% dispersible sulphur powder and the balance wetting and dispersing agents.

EDWARD SYDNEY REDVERS WILLMORE. 

